Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Utterly Irresponsible Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownies


WARNING: These are so fattening that you are likely to gain weight from the aroma alone.

1 cup granulated white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted & split
2 Tbsp water
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4cup baking cocoa (recommended: Peets Dutch Cocoa)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
18 oz natural peanut butter, split

Mix together sugar, 3/4 cup butter, and water in a large bowl
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well between each

In a separate dish, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt
Add to wet ingredients, stirring well

Mix the peanut butter and remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter

Spread half of the chocolate mixture over the bottom of a greased 13” x 9” baking pan

Spread half of peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate layer.

Top with remaining chocolate mixture

Add remaining peanut butter mixture, in rows
Drag a knife lightly through the peanut butter rows to make cute swirls and swishes

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. (A wooden toothpick inserted in the center should come out still a little sticky)

Yield: 30 mega-ultra fattening, super-dense brownies.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Hooray For Boobies!: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month


pinkribbon.com
They were your first desire, the first thought after your first breath. Growing up in this new and confusing world, they were your favorite pillow. Later, they became the objects of extraordinary fascination and desire.* Sexual, maternal, a source of nourishment, comfort, pleasure and pride, breasts are the best.

In fact, the only people likely to be adversely affected by breasts are their owners.

As you are probably aware from the myriad pink ribbon logos everywhere, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States. According to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website, except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the US, with over 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year and nearly 40,000 deaths.

Just as we all have reason to celebrate breasts, we all have a reason to be concerned about breast cancer. This month, honor the breasts in your life by encouraging the women to whom they are attached to talk to their doctors and get the facts about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.  

Together we can Save the TaTas.


Today's lesson: Give 'em a grope, ladies. It's for your health!  

Next: October 12 is Freethought Day... Maybe a piece on that, if I can get my thoughts organized... Also, October is National Pork Month...  and LGBT History Month... and German American Heritage Month... and Fair Trade Month and Dwarfism Awareness Month... Too many choices... Maybe I'll just open a bottle of wine and watch The Hunt for Red October for the 11 millionth time. (The entire cast of that movie = my first crush)


*Unless, well, they didn't... Did I mention it's LGBT History Month, too?